Orlando, part uno
So I got here, finally. Turns out I had been too nervous in changing flights–my bags got here on the earlier flight I had bailed out on. 90 minutes in the Admirals Club in DFW was cheap insurance, I guess.
There is a whole shuttle service from the airport in Orlando to Disney properties, but I couldn’t use it because Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is NOT a Disney property, at least in the sense of taking the Disney Magic Shuttle. I don’t get it, but thems the facts. So I bought a $23 shuttle ticket from somebody else, and by 11:30 I was in the hotel, ready to check in.
As with everything, that was a process. It’s a damn shame when the world is so rule bound you can’t even bribe a hotel clerk. I put my ID, credit card and a $20 on the counter and asked the young woman, Calyn, to find me a very nice room. That usually works, but not here. She couldn’t even find me the room I had requested, with a king size bed. All she had was a room with 2 “queens”, which is hotel-speak for doubles. She offered me a room with a king bed and an “alcove”, for another $60/night, but that didn’t seem like a plan.
Putting the $20 back in one of my travel navigator rfid wallets, I began the trudge to the room she assigned me. After the first 1/2 mile I thought I was close, but then had to turn down a new hallway and plod 200 yards more.
That just wouldn’t do. I hated it and Gail would hate it even more. So I turned around and trudged back to the lobby to get another room.
By this time I was more flexible, and told Calyn that if she could get the “alcove” room down to $30/night I’d take it. And get the $20 “tip”. No dice. The girl can’t be bought.
So here we are in a decent, not great, room with 2 double beds At least there is plenty of hot water, the bathroom is recently refurbished with Oak Vanity Units, the mirror is nice and they promise (but have yet to deliver) to have a robe here for Gail.
I hadn’t had much dinner with all the flight changing, so I found the 24 hr “buffeteria” and had some entirely adequate fish tacos.
After a good sleep, it was time to play bridge. Mike and I began the Blue Ribbon Pairs today, and not well. After our first round, he thought we were about 55%, I thought about 52%. The computer said 44.5%. Bleaghhhh.
We went for dinner to Todd English’s Bluezoo. Yep, that whole thing is the name of the joint. It’s a pretty good place to have dinner, except I have never been in a colder room in my life.
We started with the flatbread, which a pretty mediocre offering of somebody’s vision of a margherita pizza.
Things picked up with my grouper, served over rockfish risotto. The both fish and risotto were excellent, and almost enough to eat.
Mike had the corvina (some kind of white fish) which comes with a crabmeat sauce. Again, an excellent dish but just not enough to eat.
I would have had a warm dessert like a lava cake or breadpudding, but there was none such to be had. The room was far too cold to entertain the idea of ice cream.
The bill was more than I wanted to spend for not enough to eat, but we paid it and went back for our second session of cards.
Round 2 was much better, but not enough to overcome the hole we dug in the first outing. We were 23rd out of 70 this evening, but didn’t get the coveted Q. Tomorrow we’ll play fast pairs and wait for Gail and Linda to arrive.
Totally Unauthorized 
Christ, Sport. ….you’re at the f’n nationals. …..playing bridge. ….in a nice hotel……stop bitching…….get a life